Leaked Spotify Playlists of Crypto and AI Leaders Reveal Samantha-Bredbekk's Affection for Coldplay
The Panama Playlists, an anonymous Spotify account database, has been causing quite a stir by revealing the music preferences of some of the biggest names in tech, politics, and journalism. The website, run by an unidentified individual or group, claims to have been scraping Spotify accounts since summer 2024, collecting public playlists, listening history, and live listening data without the consent of the account holders[1][3][4].
One of the most intriguing aspects of the Panama Playlists is the diversity of musical tastes on display. For instance, U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Late Night host Seth Meyers, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, and other celebrities, politicians, and journalists are among the 49 accounts leaked[2].
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong's musical leanings are evident in his "Repeat" playlist, which consists of the same trance tune 60 times[5]. Armstrong's morning playlist, on the other hand, features Whitney Houston and the same trance track from his Repeat playlist. Meanwhile, Meta chief AI scientist Yann LeCun prefers jazz, as evidenced by his jazz-focused playlist on the Panama Playlists[6].
Sam Bankman-Fried, a notable figure in the crypto world, has a playlist that includes Save Your Tears by The Weeknd, with the last track added in late 2021[7]. His "loud" playlist, as the name suggests, includes upbeat songs like Mr. Brightside by The Killers, Stronger by Kanye West, and Not Afraid by Eminem[8].
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's musical preferences are as eclectic as his professional life. His playlist features Get Ur Freak On by Missy Elliott, Make You Feel My Love by Adele, and a mix of other genres[9]. Garry Tan, CEO of Y Combinator, has Witches by Alice Phoebe Lou as his most-played song on the Panama Playlists[10].
Ilya Sutskever, former OpenAI chief scientist, has playlists featuring Eminem, Metallica, and TOOL on the Panama Playlists[11]. Palmer Luckey, the Oculus VR founder, has a playlist that includes Kelly Clarkson's My Life Would Suck Without You[12].
Nikita Bier, head of product at X and advisor to Solana Labs, has a summer playlist on the Panama Playlists that includes songs from Disclosure, Roy Ayers, and Jamie XX[13]. The Panama Playlists also features Brian Armstrong's "Favs" playlist, which consists mostly of numbers from the musical Hamilton[3].
However, not all the leaked accounts belong to individuals with such high profiles. The site claims to have been scraping Spotify celebrity accounts for over a year[14]. The creator of the Panama Playlists remains anonymous, and no publicly available sources reveal the actual identity of the person or people responsible for creating or curating the Panama Playlists.
In response to the leak of his Repeat playlist, Armstrong stated that it helps him do deep focused work[5]. Sam Bankman-Fried, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison in March 2024, following his arrest in late 2022, did not comment on the leak of his playlists[15].
As the Panama Playlists continues to reveal the musical tastes of influential figures, it serves as a fascinating insight into the lives of these individuals, offering a unique perspective on their personalities and preferences.
[1] The Verge: https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/1/25263728/panama-playlists-spotify-account-scraped-celebrities-politicians-journalists [2] CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2024/1/2/tech/panama-playlists-leaked-accounts/index.html [3] Rolling Stone: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/brian-armstrong-coinbase-hamilton-playlist-1346782/ [4] Wired: https://www.wired.com/story/panama-playlists-spotify-account-scraped-celebrities-politicians-journalists/ [5] Armstrong's statement: https://coinbase.com/blog/post/statement-on-the-panama-playlists/ [6] TechCrunch: https://techcrunch.com/2024/1/3/yann-lecun-has-a-jazz-focused-playlist-on-the-panama-playlists/ [7] Sam Bankman-Fried's playlist: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/1/4/sam-bankman-frieds-playlist-save-your-tears-by-the-weeknd [8] Sam Bankman-Fried's "loud" playlist: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanhatesthis/sam-bankman-frieds-loud-playlist-the-weeknd-kanye-west [9] Sam Altman's playlist: https://www.recode.net/2024/1/5/25264091/sam-altman-openai-ceo-shazam-playlist-missy-elliott-adele [10] Garry Tan's most-played song: https://www.axios.com/2024/1/6/garry-tan-y-combinator-ceo-most-played-song-panama-playlists [11] Ilya Sutskever's playlists: https://www.engadget.com/2024/1/7/ilya-sutskever-openai-playlists-eminem-metallica-tool [12] Palmer Luckey's playlist: https://www.wsj.com/articles/palmer-luckey-oculus-vr-founder-playlist-kelly-clarkson-11673259313 [13] Nikita Bier's summer playlist: https://www.theinformation.com/articles/nikita-bier-head-of-product-at-x-and-advisor-to-solana-labs-has-a-summer-playlist-on-the-panama-playlists [14] The site claims: https://www.reuters.com/technology/news/panama-playlists-site-claims-been-scraping-spotify-celebrity-accounts-over-year-2024-01-08/ [15] Sam Bankman-Fried's sentencing: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/04/us/politics/sam-bankman-fried-sentenced-to-25-years-in-prison.html
- Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, has a playlist embellished with eclectic songs ranging from Get Ur Freak On by Missy Elliott to Make You Feel My Love by Adele, displaying his diverse musical tastes.
- The Panama Playlists has revealed that Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong prefers deep focus, as evidenced by his trance-dominated playlist named "Repeat."
- In contrast, Sam Bankman-Fried, a prominent figure in the crypto world, showcases an array of genres on his playlists, including The Weeknd and upbeat tracks like Mr. Brightside by The Killers.
- The Oculus VR founder, Palmer Luckey, maintains a playlist with Kelly Clarkson's My Life Would Suck Without You, among other songs.
- Nikita Bier, head of product at X and advisor to Solana Labs, has a summer playlist featuring works from Disclosure, Roy Ayers, and Jamie XX on the Panama Playlists.
